BEIJING: The boundary dispute is a legacy issue between China and India, but it does not represent the whole picture of bilateral relations, said Wu Qian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference Thursday.
Wu made the remarks when asked to comment on a previous statement by Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who said that China violated the bilateral consensus in 2020 and assembled a large amount of military forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), thus triggering the conflict in the Galwan Valley.
Noting that the Galwan Valley lies on the Chinese side of the western sector along the LAC, Wu said that the relevant incident happened only because the Indian side violated the bilateral consensus and made unilateral provocations. Therefore, the responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side.
Over the past three years, China and India have maintained communication and coordination through military and diplomatic channels, according to Wu.
Up till now, the two militaries have had 20 rounds of Corps Commander Level Meetings, and agreed to disengage at four points, namely the Galwan Valley, the Pangong Lake, Hot Springs and Jianan Daban, contributing to the de-escalation of tensions along the border, Wu said.
“It is unwise and inappropriate for the Indian side to link the boundary issue with the overall relations. This approach is against the shared interests of the two countries,” the spokesperson said.
“We hope the Indian side can work with the Chinese side towards the same goal, enhance strategic mutual trust, properly handle differences, and safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas,” Wu added.
